Tooth Whitening Been Banned

FOR THE DENTAL PATIENT ...

kiosks have Tooth whitening been banned. Although they What you should know may be staffed with people wearing f you want to whiten your teeth, the best “scrubs” or lab- place to start is with a healthy mouth. Tooth oratory coats decay, sensitive or cracked teeth, infections who may look or periodontal (gum) problems should be like health care professionals, that often is not diagnosed and treated before any tooth the case. Iwhitening procedure. Otherwise, you could expe- Staff running the tooth-whitening kiosk may rience discomfort. The whitening process may have no health care training and no license to aggravate existing problems, or the whitening provide health care services. However, they are process simply may not be right for you. dispensing chemicals that could permanently affect your teeth and gingivae (gums). BEGIN WITH DENTAL CHECKUP Rather than heading to the local cosmetic counter INFECTION CONTROL TECHNIQUES or shopping mall in search of tooth whiteners, Dental office staff members are trained in infec- start with a dental checkup. Your dentist can tion control techniques that follow the U.S. Cen- evaluate, diagnose and treat any pressing oral ters for Disease Control and Prevention’s guide- health conditions and advise you about different lines. The guidelines include such procedures as options to safely and effectively whiten your changing examination gloves and disinfecting teeth. Your dentist also can determine whether work surfaces after each patient visit, washing whitening will work for you. When the dentist hands and following other infection control diagnoses the cause of the discoloration—injury, procedures. stains from food or tobacco, antibiotic treatment Talk with your dentist about the pros and cons as a child or other causes—a suitable tooth- of different whitening treatments and what may whitening method or product can be selected. The be right for you. He or she may suggest a simple diagnosis is important; otherwise, you could be procedure that can be performed in the dental wasting time and money because whitening treat- office. This procedure is called “chairside ments work only on natural tooth enamel, not bleaching” and may require more than one office on crowns, veneers, bonding materials or tooth- visit. Each visit may last from 30 minutes to one colored fillings. hour. Your dentist also may dispense a product Many tooth whiteners are advertised on Web for daily use at home for a period of weeks. sites, television infomercials and the radio, as White, bright teeth are desirable, but having a well as in magazines and newspapers. The healthy smile is more important. Your dentist can American Dental Association (ADA) is concerned help you achieve not only a whiter, more attrac- about the safety of tooth-whitening chemicals and tive smile, but one that is healthy and contributes procedures that are performed without the care or to your overall health. ■ supervision of a licensed dentist. The ADA recom- Prepared by the ADA in cooperation with The Journal of the mends that if you choose to have your teeth American Dental Association and the ADA Division of Science. Unlike whitened or use a bleaching product, you should other portions of JADA, this page may be clipped and copied as a handout for patients, without first obtaining reprint permission from do so only after consulting with a dentist. If the the ADA Publishing Division. Any other use, copying or distribution, chemicals used to whiten teeth are not applied whether in printed or electronic form, is strictly prohibited without properly, they could damage soft and hard tissues prior written consent of the ADA Publishing Division.

in the mouth. “For the Dental Patient” provides general information on dental treatments to dental patients. It is designed to prompt discussion TOOTH-WHITENING KIOSKS between dentist and patient about treatment options and does not sub- stitute for the dentist’s professional assessment based on the individual Recently, tooth-whitening kiosks have appeared patient’s needs and desires. in malls and salons. In at least one state, these

384 JADA, Vol. 140 http://jada.ada.org March 2009